Iron Man: Talk To Me
Second drabble from the Fandom Surprise Drabble Requests, although I think referring to this as a drabble is pushing it a bit.
Title: Talk To Me
Word Count: 484
Rating: PG
Disclaimer Post
Summary: “What do you think I am, Lieutenant Colonel Rhodes, the military’s fancy new gun?”
Notes: infiniteviking claimed the prompt "be my blade" for fandom 6, which was Iron Man. Warning: rampant italics abuse ahead. I was in an odd mood when I wrote this, and I'd been watching a lot of Flashpoint. As with nearly all my fics, the names are relevant.
By the fifth time a file containing some strategically improbable mission showed up on his desk without so much as a by-your-leave, Tony was pissed. He stormed into Rhodes’ office and slammed the offending folders down on the desk from which they’d originated.
“What the hell is all this?” he demanded, and tacked on a silent I’m waiting, peon in the tilt of his head and the set of his hands on his hips.
“Tony-“ Rhodes started to say. But Tony was getting excuse instead of explanation from the man’s eyes and like hell was that going to fly.
“What do you think I am, Lieutenant Colonel Rhodes, the military’s fancy new gun?”
“No!” Rhodes cried and-there. The narrowing of his eyes, the tension in his shoulders, the way his hands spasmed on the edge of the desk…he was telling the truth. He just wasn’t telling enough.
“What, then? What is this?” Tony leaned forward, put his hands on the desk between them and locked eyes with his military liaison; you will not disappoint me if you know what’s good for you.
Rhodes took a deep breath, saying I’m sorry, I should have told you in the way he held himself for the fifth time since Tony walked through the door. “These are all the files-all the missions-my bosses want to pretend don’t exist. I can’t take care of them myself, no matter how much I want to. I’m not free to act in the same ways you are, Tony. I can’t go where you can.”
“Naturally,” Tony replied breezily. He straightened to his full height and one hand returned to his hip. I’m Tony fucking Stark, said the pose and the smirk that went with it, do you really think you could be me?
Asshole, said the eyeroll he got in return, but Rhodes’ expression sobered in an instant. He might as well have had I’m sorry and I’m telling the truth written in neon lights over his head with that look in his eyes. “You’re not the military’s fancy new gun, Tony,” he said with his voice. “You’re mine. I’ve been sending you where you’re needed.” He hesitated, then for the first time out loud said, “I’m sorry, Tony.”
And that…was the truth. All of it, and Tony’d only had to come within five minutes of wrecking the best friendship he’d ever had to get it.
“You should be,” he said, repeating his words in the crisp way he pulled back the chair in front of the desk and belying them with the way he dropped into a near-boneless sprawl the minute it stopped moving. I forgive you, he said silently, because he couldn’t quite say it out loud just yet. “Honestly, James,” he continued, “you should know better than to try that cloak and dagger stuff.”
Rhodey didn’t say anything in return, but his smile fairly sang.
Title: Talk To Me
Word Count: 484
Rating: PG
Disclaimer Post
Summary: “What do you think I am, Lieutenant Colonel Rhodes, the military’s fancy new gun?”
Notes: infiniteviking claimed the prompt "be my blade" for fandom 6, which was Iron Man. Warning: rampant italics abuse ahead. I was in an odd mood when I wrote this, and I'd been watching a lot of Flashpoint. As with nearly all my fics, the names are relevant.
By the fifth time a file containing some strategically improbable mission showed up on his desk without so much as a by-your-leave, Tony was pissed. He stormed into Rhodes’ office and slammed the offending folders down on the desk from which they’d originated.
“What the hell is all this?” he demanded, and tacked on a silent I’m waiting, peon in the tilt of his head and the set of his hands on his hips.
“Tony-“ Rhodes started to say. But Tony was getting excuse instead of explanation from the man’s eyes and like hell was that going to fly.
“What do you think I am, Lieutenant Colonel Rhodes, the military’s fancy new gun?”
“No!” Rhodes cried and-there. The narrowing of his eyes, the tension in his shoulders, the way his hands spasmed on the edge of the desk…he was telling the truth. He just wasn’t telling enough.
“What, then? What is this?” Tony leaned forward, put his hands on the desk between them and locked eyes with his military liaison; you will not disappoint me if you know what’s good for you.
Rhodes took a deep breath, saying I’m sorry, I should have told you in the way he held himself for the fifth time since Tony walked through the door. “These are all the files-all the missions-my bosses want to pretend don’t exist. I can’t take care of them myself, no matter how much I want to. I’m not free to act in the same ways you are, Tony. I can’t go where you can.”
“Naturally,” Tony replied breezily. He straightened to his full height and one hand returned to his hip. I’m Tony fucking Stark, said the pose and the smirk that went with it, do you really think you could be me?
Asshole, said the eyeroll he got in return, but Rhodes’ expression sobered in an instant. He might as well have had I’m sorry and I’m telling the truth written in neon lights over his head with that look in his eyes. “You’re not the military’s fancy new gun, Tony,” he said with his voice. “You’re mine. I’ve been sending you where you’re needed.” He hesitated, then for the first time out loud said, “I’m sorry, Tony.”
And that…was the truth. All of it, and Tony’d only had to come within five minutes of wrecking the best friendship he’d ever had to get it.
“You should be,” he said, repeating his words in the crisp way he pulled back the chair in front of the desk and belying them with the way he dropped into a near-boneless sprawl the minute it stopped moving. I forgive you, he said silently, because he couldn’t quite say it out loud just yet. “Honestly, James,” he continued, “you should know better than to try that cloak and dagger stuff.”
Rhodey didn’t say anything in return, but his smile fairly sang.